AUSTRALIA SUPPORTS BASIC EDUCATION FOR FILIPINO SCHOOL BOYS AND GIRLS
Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Rod Smith (seated, center) interacts with pre-school children enrolled at the community learning centre in Romana Acharon Elementary School in General Santos City. The centre was built by the Australian Government under the Philippines-Australia Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM) program.
Since 2002 BEAM, a Php1.7 billion Australian Government initiative through AusAID and implemented in partnership with the Department of Education, has contributed significantly to enhanced teaching and learning outcomes, improved access to and quality of education for Filipino schoolchildren including from poor and disadvantaged communities, Muslim and indigenous peoples through innovative approaches developed in partnership with the Philippines Department of Education.
Pre-school enrolment at the community learning centre has increased from 25 in 2007-08 to 250 in 2008-09. The school also implements technical vocation training for out of school youth and functional literacy and livelihood classes for parents.